Tyrese Haliburton Injury Status For Pacers vs Warriors

The Indiana Pacers have been playing some excellent basketball over the last two or three weeks. They have now won four in a row and ten of their last 13. Because of that surge, they now sit seventh in the Eastern Conference, tied with Miami for sixth. They lose a tiebreaker, so that's why they are seventh.

Perhaps the biggest reason for Indiana's recent success has been the improved play of Tyrese Haliburton. He has started to play more aggressively and has actively tried to get to the rim more. In turn, that breaks down the defense and opens up more opportunities for his teammates.

Over the last seven games, Haliburton has averaged 23 points, 9.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. All of those numbers are ahead of his season averages. His ability to dictate how other teams defend the rest of the Pacers on the floor is extremely valuable.

The biggest hindrance to Haliburton being the best player he can be is injury. Last season, Haliburton suffered a hamstring injury that really kept him from being the first-team All-NBA guard that he looked like he was in the first half of the year. Only now does it look like he's fully recovered from that injury.

Unfortunately, Haliburton has been dealing with an ankle sprain that he suffered against the Nets. He was able to play against the Bulls despite the injury. He was listed as questionable ahead of the game against the Warriors because of the same right ankle sprain.

The Pacers are still waiting on Aaron Nesmith to return from an ankle sprain of his own. His is obviously much more severe, considering he has missed 30+ games this season. While he is making progress, it's still unclear what the timetable is for his return.

Once Nesmith returns, the Pacers get back their best perimeter defender. Nesmith is also an excellent 3-point shooter. Adding him back to the mix would be akin to them making a big move at the trade deadline for a player who can make a difference.

Indiana could still make some moves at the trade deadline, but it would be very surprising to see them take a big swing with Nesmith's return to this team still looming. The front office loves what Nesmith can do and what he brings to the roster.

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